HOT & NOT

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has “declared a national war on cancer”. In a speech at the Francis Crick Institute Javid called for evidence to drive a ‘10-Year Cancer Plan for England’.

Javid wants England to become a world-leader in cancer care, renewing attention paid to innovative treatment and early diagnosis in the face of the backlog of cancer care being tackled by the NHS in the wake of the pandemic.

The first doses of an experimental HIV vaccine have been delivered in a phase 1 clinical trial. International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, a non-profit scientific research organisation – alongside biotechnology company Moderna and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – aims to build on the results seen in a proof-of-concept trial for the associated antigens.

The phase 1 IAVI G002 trial is taking place at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in Washington, DC.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has embarked on a ‘road trip’ to visit hospitals, care homes, cancer centres and research facilities, in an attempt to engage with those most integral to his reform and recovery agenda.

The visits will focus on COVID-19 recovery, NHS and social care reform, tackling disparities and raising the health of the nation. Javid will also make various stops along the way at vaccination centres, community diagnostic centres and GP surgeries.

Sanofi has revealed a new eye-catching corporate brand which supports its modernisation and transformation efforts.
The new logo aims to represent Sanofi’s ‘renewed purpose and visions for the future’ and the company has stated that sustainability and social responsibility lies at the heart of those ambitions. With its new brand, Sanofi pledges to bring its diverse history together in a single common identity.

NICE has passed up the opportunity to ensure its evaluation methods support approval of the most innovative and potentially game-changing drugs.
The Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) has shared that NICE’s proposed reforms to its drug assessment methods for the NHS fall short and in one significant respect may make access to new cancer drugs worse.

The UK government has revealed that more than 96% of pregnant women admitted to hospital with COVID-19 symptoms, between May and October 2021, were unvaccinated.

The government continues to underline that COVID-19 vaccinations are safe for pregnant individuals and have no impact on fertility and has launched a campaign calling on people who are pregnant to receive their first, second, or booster vaccination.